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One of my favorite things about reading blogs is reading the comments; I often find them more interesting than the post itself. So as I was attempting to re-enter the real world from my mini-vacation (more on this later, because I know you’re dying to find out if I actually took a vacation on my vacation, yes you do!) and reading through the many blog posts about the selection Sara Palin as the VP on the Republican ticket I naturally jumped to the comments.

She is a controversial choice so the comments were colorful. I should have expected it but one theme caught me off guard: People questioning Sarah Pailin’s family values because she is a mother of five who is not spending more time taking care of her children. (Unfortunately I can’t link to the individual comments, but a great selection of them suggesting this can be found here.)

I have to admit that when I found out that she has five kids I thought, wow, how does she juggle being governor with being a mom of five? Does her husband stay home full time? Does she have a nanny? I was impressed and I was curious about the logistics she has in place to manage it all. (After all, I have a tough enough time juggling my work and being a mom to just one kiddo.

Part of me understands why people are bringing this up as an issue. Sarah Palin is anti-abortion and it’s likely that at least part of the reason she was chosen as McCain’s running mate is to appeal to so-called family value voters, many of whom hold traditional views about where moms belong (at home). But most of me is outraged that being a working mom with a large family and a demanding career can’t possibly be consistent with holding strong family values. Are we still in that stone age?

89 comments so far...

Surprisely..I feel the same way!! As a parent you become unselfish…and to focus on such a demanding career when you have five children including a 4 month old who has a disability at home…sounds selfish to me.

This is exactly how I felt. It occurred to me that the first successful working-mom candidate had to be elected on a Republican ticket, because if she ran as a Democrat, the ultra-conservatives would bash her for not staying home in order to nurse her baby all day.

Well, I don’t know if she nurses - that’s her business - but I have read that she takes her baby with her a lot. Being in charge of the office does give a woman more flexibility.

I am a republican and a pretty conservative one, but I honestly don’t see what that has to do with women working. There is a chapter in Job glorifying a working mom. Let’s get real. Moms have always pulled their weight in the economy, whether they were paid in currency or not, and with today’s domestic and transportation conveniences, it only makes sense that some of that work gets done outside the home. It’s unfortunate that many folks, including some women, don’t get it. I feel to some extent it’s a defensive reaction by SAHMs, and to a large extent it’s folks looking for any excuse to bash her since they aren’t changing their vote anyway. Another kind of defensiveness, when they observe with horror that some folks might actually be moved to vote Republican after McCain’s choice.

It’s easy enough for a career woman to avoid having kids getting in their way. I read that 90% of women who learn they are about to have a Down syndrome baby choose abortion. Ms. Palin is among the 10% who didn’t. Instead, she chose to have her special-needs baby in the middle of an extremely important time in her career. To suggest that she doesn’t have family values is really grasping at straws - especially when such a suggestion comes from folks who are planning to vote for Obama, who wouldn’t dare say such a thing (I should hope).

I think it totally rocks that we have a chance to have a working mom of young kids in the executive branch of our country. The fact is, most moms in our country work because they have to. And it’s hard, but the feminists’ best answer to that so far has been to kill those pesky brats that are holding us back. What we really need is for someone to say, OK, so most women are having kids and working, so what is the very best way we can support them, or at least not stand in their way? Who better than a high-power working mom to make sure that gets addressed?

Ya know, I may be in the minority, but I have known about Ms. Palin for many months. I secretly hoped she’d be chosen, but I was 99.99% sure they would pass over her because she had just had a baby. That is why I was SO thrilled when I heard of McCain’s choice. He could have chosen another woman if he just wanted to say “see, I think women are competent.” I don’t believe he chose Palin “because” she is a mom of young kids - it’s her record of reform - but isn’t it great that she wasn’t discriminated against - as many moms are daily - due to having a wee baby?

SKL |
August 31st, 2008 at 9:01 am

I agree with SKL.
I am glad to finally see women moving up. This is great for all of us out there.

I am a working mom who owns her own business and I work very HARD for work life balance. I feel grateful and proud that I have a successful business while raising my three year old son. My husband, is a wonderful father and is very involved, but he too is an executive.

With that being said, I do question the JUDGMENT of Sarah Palin deciding to campaign with a 4 month old child who has special needs. I fully understand the pressure, complexity and commitment of making the decision to go back to work. I was very concerned with her judgment in returning to work 3 days after delivering AND now question her judgment to put her special needs child on the campaign trail.

I will always support women and career choices for I greatly honor those women before me who have fought for me to be able to have a balanced working/family life, so I am not in disagreement with supporting working moms. I just question Sarah Palin’s judgments and timing. I do believe the needs of her infant are great and as moms we know that what is needed of us becomes even more demanding when our child starts learning to crawl, eating solid foods, walking, etc…and for Sarah that is all going to be on the campaign trail!

With all do respect, this is a serious position that she has committed to and I certainly don’t have any expectation that she will have a lot of flexibility in her schedule. We are talking about the second highest level of office in the nation with the possibility of being commander in chief with an older candidate.

It is funny, but as I am writing this note my son is playing with my arms which is making it very difficult to type (sorry for any typos). This is just one of our challenges…

Ms. Palin has four other kids, so I think she knows what she is getting herself into. I feel I must respect the decision made by most any woman as she decides how soon and how intensely to resume work after the birth of her child. Ms. Palin is certainly not the only woman who has made this choice. I don’t understand the whole concept of “questioning another woman’s judgment.” Unless you want people questioning yours all the time, it doesn’t seem right. Women need to support each other’s right to make these decisions and to be respected as capable of making them wisely.

From an impersonal perspective, it seems unprincipled to argue that one very large part of our population - women with young children - should be the only citizens in our country who are excluded from important public offices. It seems to me that such a principle would prevent the views of that whole group of people from getting an equal hearing. More power to Ms. Palin for being willing to close an important gap in national policymaking.

SKL |
August 31st, 2008 at 2:24 pm

People are only attacking her for this because her credentials (what really matters)are laughable, yet there is fear she just might end of as VP. It’s what humans do when they are having a fight and feeling threatened. Throw in irrelevent comments that have nothing to do with the issue at hand.

If elected, to think that McCain will not utilize her as an adviser. She will have no voice unless he dies, and then women’s issues will be the least of her concerns. He thinks it’s ok to call his wife a cunt in public, and his been named the worst senator for children based on 10 votes.

It is my opinion that her appointment as vp candidate is to secure the pro Life vote with the base that may not have other wise voted. After November 4, the sole purpose of her appointment will be done.

If anyone knows what she intends to do or has done for working moms other than be ProLife, please provide a link for me. If there is evidence of McCain’s objectives for her in Washington let me know.

Lindsay |
August 31st, 2008 at 6:36 pm

[...] in coverage of Hurricane Gustav this weekend (when I haven’t been glued to the coverage of John McCain’s choice of working mom Sarah Palin for VP) and, in spite of the surprisingly good weather we’ve been having in Massachusetts, I find [...]

I’m with Lindsay, the woman has zero experience. She’s no Hillary. McCain didn/t have my vote to begin with, and this certainly doesn’t change that. I find it patronizing. And, to discuss family values, the woman’s 17 year old daughter is 5 months pregnant. AND she’s marrying the father. The last thing I’d want for my daughter is to be married at 17.

sandie |
September 1st, 2008 at 5:20 pm

>but the feministsâ€™ best answer to that so >far has been to kill those pesky brats that >are holding us back.

SKL, that is extremely offensive, not to mention inaccurate. Inflammatory rhetoric prevents one from being taken seriously in any debate.

rb |
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:21 am

I don’t think that a woman can be a
devoted mother and also thrive at
her career. I am sorry but you will
be mediocre at best. I know for me
being a mother is the most demanding job
I have ever done. What if your child is sick and needs to stay home? What about the demanding homework the children get these days? What about taking your children to soccer games, swimming lessons, music lessons…………..I am exhausted! Let’s not forget that you need to put a healthy meal on the table. How do you do all of this when you work full time and have a very demanding job–unless you hire a nanny. Lastly, I just have one thing to say about Sarah Palin, her
17 year old daughter is pregnant–those are real family values.

Let’s be honest, holding the second highest ranking political office in the country is murder on family life. As is already the case, the children’s lives will be grossly exploited and their mother simply will not have the time for family and mothering that her spouse and children deserve from her. I am a business owner who made a choice to put my career on hold to raise my children. I understand that not everyone has that luxury and I have the deepest respect for working mothers who MUST work, but for those who have a choice, I will never understand those who do not choose to give themselves to their families. There is no greater gift or payoff on the giving OR receiving end!

Kathleen |
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:55 am

*putting on my asbestos suit*

Hey Nataly, I’d love a follow-up to this in light of the information that came out yesterday.

Do we get to judge Palin’s stance on family values and abstinence-only education in light of her daughter’s pregnancy? (And let me be clear: I agree with Obama’s “children are off-limits” statement—I feel nothing but compassion for Bristol Palin, whose position I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I’m talking about how—if at all—this affects our view of Palin, and whether or not said changes are appropriate.)

I said in another forum yesterday that I personally can’t help feeling that Palin’s trajectory at this point—which now includes putting her minor child under the microscope during an already difficult time—leaves me feeling like she is a mother I simply cannot respect. And I didn’t feel that way before this came to light.

Holy cow, Ginger, way to indict an entire population. SOME women are quite capable of thriving at chosen careers AND being fabulous, devoted mothers. It’s hard work, of course, but not impossible. I’ve shaped my career such that I am available to my kids, can stay home when they’re ill, serve home cooked meals, volunteer on the PTA, etc. It’s very difficult but completely worth it on all fronts.

I guess if this proves an impossible task for you, good for you for recognizing your limits and choosing motherhood over career if you cannot manage both. But don’t insult those of us who CAN and DO manage both by insisting it’s impossible. It’s not. It’s very, very hard. But doiable.

I need to get some coffee first but as I said, sometimes comments are more interesting than the blog post itself, as is the case with this post here.

It’s personal. Not because I like Sarah Palin — I don’t know much about her and what I do know doesn’t agree with much of what I believe and doesn’t show me that she is qualified as VP — but because I have an extremely demanding career and I am a mom. It’s hard to do both, sometimes it’s almost impossible, and I am not perfect at either, but I do believe it is possible and for me, invaluable.

Mir, you’re in my mind — I was planning a follow up post to this in light of the news that her daughter is pregnant. Coming up.:)

Nataly |
September 2nd, 2008 at 8:38 am

Is anyone here remembering that these five kids have a father too? Might he not be involved in his kids’ life? Obama has young kids, Clinton did, Carter did, Kennedy did, etc.; the reason nobody complained that they’d be neglecting their kids as president is because they had spouses and everyone assumed the spouses had the home situation under control. In this day and age, I should think we working moms are aware enough to recognize that Mr. Palin can pick up the slack where Ms. Palin leaves off. If it’s wrong for one parent of young kids to be in the oval office, then we should be saying the same thing about Obama.

Oh, and I stand by my statement that the feminists have for decades been so focused on abortion rights that they have failed to make any real impact on the lives of women who choose to raise children - which is the group most women fall into. That’s a huge and glaring failure. In addition, I’m highly offended by women who declare that I am somehow less of a human if my children have a right to life.

SKL |
September 2nd, 2008 at 8:42 am

“Obama has young kids, Clinton did, Carter did, Kennedy did, etc.; the reason nobody complained that theyâ€™d be neglecting their kids as president is because they had spouses and everyone assumed the spouses had the home situation under control.”

To be fair, Michelle Obama has received significant criticism for taking her children on the campaign trail. It is my understanding that her husband works as well, but I don’t know much about him.

Does Sarah Palin have her home situation under control?

Michele G |
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:32 am

I am apalled at the direction this discussion has taken. This blog was, in my opinion, intended as a support system for all working moms, however you define that label. Instead of having an open discourse on an issue, this has turned into an opportunity for each political side to show their worst colors.

I am a working (outside the home) mom of two and was aboslutely overjoyed at the selection of an accomplished working mother as a VP candidate. My daughters and I discussed the importance of this election, for women and minorities. I used Sarah Palin as an example of how women can be anything and all things- mommies, wives, and politicians. We also discussed how exciting it was for Obama to be running for President for African Americans, and how we wished that someday every group would have actual representation in the White House. Why aren’t we using this forum to discuss the amazing gains for our daughters? Do I want my daughters to encounter teen pregancy? No, but I also don’t think its appropriate for us all to discuss what went “right” or “wrong” for a 17 year old girl.

I can attest here that unlike a commenter above, I AM a GREAT mom and am excelelnt at my job outside the home. I take pride in all aspects of my life. Let’s not knock each other down, Sarah Palin is an excellent example for women and I am proud to have her nominated this election.

txhorns |
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:25 am

wow - nothing like politics to get people to up on their soap boxes… (me included!)

SLK â€“ choices are just that, choices among options.

Ginger â€“ Please try to understand that what makes you happy and what works for your family isnâ€™t necessarily the same for everyone. I would be working even if I didnâ€™t ‘have’ to. And since my husband is pretty darn awesome and takes a huge role in parenting, itâ€™s not all that hard to do. It also helps that my son goes to an amazingly good daycare. Itâ€™s like, dare I say it? A village! I do still dream of a housekeeper though!

So what does this have to do with Palin? I think it’s great, actually, that she chose to have her baby even after knowing the disabilities. She has older kids who are obviously dedicated to the family and are helping out with the baby. The daughter that is pregnant seems to be the one in charge of the baby when mom is busy campaigning. Not a bad lesson for someone so young and about to be a mother. If they are getting married and are happy about it, I wish them the best as there are a lot of very young couples that do just fine in life. I agree that all of this has really nothing to do with Palinâ€™s VP path or the election. I am more worried that she has not even been in congress or has any real working idea of how Washington politics works today. How can you change something for the better when you know nothing about how it works today? Itâ€™s not like you can scrap it and start over, it is one thing you have to fix from the inside out. I also have a general concern that all of the women who hold public office (and have babies while in office) are back at work within days of giving birth. What message does this send to corporations (and the world) around maternity leave? We scream that we have the worst maternity leave policies for a nation of our wealth and yet our role model female leaders are back at work in a day or two.

Family values is a tricky term, and it’s interesting that it comes up in discussion of Sarah Palin’s and Michelle Obama’s roles but not immediately in considering Todd Palin’s or Barak Obama’s. It’s pretty clear that “women’s work” is still considered women’s work, regardless of what else a woman may accomplish.

Given that Palin’s husband is a commercial fisherman, and an oil field worker, according to http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=1954, I would guess that he can’t be home much. Commercial fishermen are out at sea for days or weeks at a time, and depending on the oil field, the same applies to that job. Does that mean he has poor family values? I don’t particularly think so. If I were in their position (two parent’s with demanding jobs that keep them away from home oftentimes) I would have to look hard and long at the situation I thought would work best for my family; which might mean a lot of things, (hiring a live in nanny, relying on extended family, going for flexible work hours), but not that I didn’t value my family.

On the topic of Bristol Palin’s pregnancy, Iâ€™d say that it says nothing about her mother’s (or father’s) family values. It might be yet another example of how a policy of abstinence only education continues to be ineffective in stopping teenagers from having sex. I say this as someone who got pregnant at 18, and was just purely lucky that it wasn’t 17. I grew up in a conservative Catholic household, so I got that abstinence only message too. For Bristol, I have nothing but sympathy and encouragement; for her mother, I hope this personal challenge gives her pause for thought about effective policies to support should she become our next VP.

Given that Palin’s husband is a commercial fisherman, and an oil field worker, according to http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=1954, I would guess that he can’t be home much. Commercial fishermen are out at see for days or weeks at a time, and depending on the oil field, the same applies to that job. Does that mean he has poor family values? I don’t particularly think so. If I were in their position (two parent’s with demanding jobs that keep them away from home oftentimes) I would have to look hard and long at the situation I thought would work best for my family; which might mean a lot of things, (hiring a live in nanny, relying on extended family, going for flexible work hours), but not that I didn’t value my family.

On the topic of Bristol Palin’s pregnancy, i’d say that it says nothing about her mother’s (or father’s) family values. It might be yet another example of how a policy of abstinence only education continues to be ineffective in stopping teenagers from having sex. I say this as someone who got pregnant at 18, and was just purely lucky that it wasn’t 17. I grew up in a conservative Catholic household, so I got that abstinence only message too. For Bristol, I have nothing but sympathy and encouragement; for her mother, I hope this personal challenge gives her pause for thought about effective policies to support should she become our next VP.

Gwen |
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:55 am

Regarding Palin’s lack of congressional experience: based on that argument, GWB, Bill Clinton, Ron Reagan, and any other former governor should not have been elected president. Ditto on lack of foreign policy experience.

Did you ever wonder why the country needs hundreds of congressmen and ony one president? Because an executive officer gets a lot more done. A congressman spends his days arguing about what the president should do, and in Obama’s case, looking at only one side of the nation’s concerns (it’s documented that his votes have been 97% along party lines and his voting record is radical when it’s not liberal).

Are we falling into the trap of assuming Palin’s experience is worth less because she’s a woman? Maybe sub-consciously? Maybe, or maybe some folks are just allowing their political views to cloud their judgment on this individual’s political and personal experience.

SKL |
September 2nd, 2008 at 11:17 am

The comments just make me sad. I have been trying to stay away from most of this because I knew I would be upset.

We cannot know what her family life is like and judge her. For all we know she had a family discussion including her 17 year old daughter and made the decision together. I do not know her support system or her families views. Nor do I need to - it isn’t my business.

As to her family values - just because you preach abstinance doesn’t mean your child will listen. She is 17 and at that age you feel like nothing can go wrong. Her family is loving and supporting her - how is that wrong.

Lastly, I love my child and will put her first. That doesn’t mean I have to neglect myself and my career. I also think that showing my daughter that she can be successful as a mom and in a career is a great thing. It is probably a great thing for a 17 yr old who is about to be a mother herself.

I don’t know how she will be as a VP, and I don’t know her. I can’t believe we are so hung up on her working mom status instead of real issues.

Stacey S |
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:11 pm

I’m not sure we’re falling into a trap like the one you mention, SKL — not even subconsiously. It’s possible that, for many people, her experience is worth less simply because there’s less of it.

Has anyone read her personal blog?
It is so nasty. She wants to defend the right for children to live. Great. But does that give her the right to call others who want a CHOICE only, whores? Her running mate calls his wife a cunt. Is this the kind of respect for one another that we want our children to learn?

Her experience as a politician on the world stage is non-existent and she refers to foreign policy as a “thingy” she’s getting a handle on, and goes on to say she’s being trained on who are enemies of the country via flashcards with pictures of animals on them. Is this the best person to make decisions on the world stage????

Working mom or not, she is completely narrow minded and downright mean spirited. You can’t operate as a leader of the free world with that attitude. The US has the worst reputation ever thanks to an administration who does just that. Do we want a repeat performance?

Meaghan Clark |
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:35 pm

For me, even if I bought the argument that her executive experience was less weighty than a couple more years of congressional experience, I would still prefer Palin over someone who has a record that is close to 100% against my beliefs. Yeah, Obama has been in Washington doing “something” for a few years, but what he’s been doing bears no resemblance to what I want my president to be doing for the next 4-8 years. Likewise Biden’s “long experience” as a liberal congressman. That’s an area where we can agree to disagree, but I feel most “democrats” haven’t been paying attention enough to know what Obama’s record is. Ultimately, while everyone is going on about whether Palin was the right VP choice for the republicans, I think the bigger question is whether Obama was the right choice for the democrats. Hillary’s half-hearted endorsement notwithstanding, she’s more like McCain than she is like Obama.

Now if the politicians really wanted to get past partisanship, McCain could have chosen Hillary as VP - then we’d really be having some fun discussions!

SKL |
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:42 pm

I hope that we are all planning to vote for the candidate that best represents our own stance on issues that are important to us and not based on who does what in their private life (regardless of media attention).

For me, I don’t agree with most of what McCain or Palin stand for politically and none of my decision has anything to do with Palin’s personal life, her familyâ€™s matters, or the fact that she is a working mother. Mostly it’s that she and McCain have the opposite views that I have on major issues that I care about.

We have a checks and balances system on purpose - no one branch has more power than another in the majority of instances. We have 100s of members of congress to ensure that the constituents of the statesâ€™ requests and concerns have a voice in legislation.

Even though the president is the leader of the country, this position of power is still kept in check by Congress and the Supreme Court. They absolutely must work together in order to move forward.

wow…SKL said, “And itâ€™s hard, but the feministsâ€™ best answer to that so far has been to kill those pesky brats that are holding us back. What we really need is for someone to say, OK, so most women are having kids and working, so what is the very best way we can support them, or at least not stand in their way? Who better than a high-power working mom to make sure that gets addressed?”

The matter of fact it has been feminists who pushed the idea of day cares, child care, family leave, etc. that makes being a working mom a bit less insane today. Look at the voting records of the most “pro-life” people in Senate and it is also those people who vote AGAINST supporting children (education, welfare, WIC, etc.).

I personally have an issue with her going back to work after 3 days. Not because it is selfish, but it’s a bad example. She’s not the only woman I’ve ever read of who has done that, but as someone who could have taken at least a week off, she should have as an example that moms need time to heal and bond. As a fellow working mom, more power to her if she can nurse that lil one during cabinet meetings! It’s a nurse in at the Capital! hehe…

I don’t think it’s any of my business when she went back to work or that she went back to work.

I think she was an extremely poor choice because of her glaring lack of experience. She is simply NOT qualified for the job. Motherhood has nothing to do with it.

Robyn |
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:09 pm

The amount of children that she has and their ages is irrelevent due to the fact that she is not qualified for the job nor does she stand for the things that this country needs desperately to change. Any woman that would vote for her simply because she is a woman is doing this country a huge disservice. Of course, no one should vote against her because she is a working mother, either. No one wants to go through another 4 years of Bush-style administration which is exactly what we will get with McCain and Palin. Our country is in need of something and someone fresh. Someone to come in and really make a change to help us out of this nightmare that the Bush administration has gotten us into.

Ocean's Mom |
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:50 pm

Meaghan,
I think you may be looking at a satire site. To my understanding, PalinDrome is not actually written by Ms. Palin. Is that the one you were referencing?

This radio clip is a minute long. Should a female Governor be laughing when a woman is being attacked in the way Lyda Green is on this video?

I was raised Catholic and still practice but more than at any time in my life am questioning things. There is so much more to being pro family, pro women, pro children than just being anti abortion.

At present I really think the pro choice crowd is doing more to reduce it than the pro Life crowd, because the Pro life crowd is so intolerant of reasonable discussion on contraception AND comes across as so morally superior that those who do have good things to say are ignored.

Yesterday I almost cried when I found out that Hillary Clinton visited my Catholic alma mater and in response the Catholic university graduation was boycotted by the Diocese bishop and the school received intense criticism from Catholic groups for allowing Hillary to visit. Hillary may not be anti abortion she is good for women and children.

I really think that those criticizing Palin are not anti family, not all opposed to a veep female with five kids. They just don’t see her as being the one to effect change for women.

Men are capable of doing great things for women. Most people lucky enough to only have to look to their own fathers to see this.

I resent the indication that we need a working mom in Washington to meet the objectives of working moms. While a working mom could do this, if she had the appropriate political and education skill set, so could a man with a plan to address women’s needs.

Lindsay |
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:48 pm

“And itâ€™s hard, but the feministsâ€™ best answer to that so far has been to kill those pesky brats that are holding us back.”

Other answers that feminists like in regard to pregnancy:
-contraception
- on site day care
-protection of one’s job while on mat leave
-recognizing that a spouse, friend, village can help you
-working from home occasionally
-part time work
-taking the kids to the office sometimes on the weekend and saying buck up kiddo, $ doesn’t grow on trees,
-leaving the work force to be a SAHM
-having so much courage and becoming self employed (I love this crowd and so hope I have your guts in a few years) to get more control on things.

All valid and have nothing to do with killing.
Also I used prolife and prochoice in the post above. I recognize even the use of these terms is debated, and totally get that pro choice is prolife also. I just don’t want to type Pro Roe vs Wade or Anti Roe vs Wade over and over.

Lastly, I think Bristol’s values are in no way in question. Anyone who has sex and is female could end up pregnant. There, but for the grace of God go I. This girl had the courage to tell her mom that she was pregnant and chose life which is consistent with their values. I’m sure it is difficult for any teen to tell their parent they are pregnant, probably even more so when you have been told that you should abstain until marriage. I won’t applaud her for what has happened but I won’t rip her family values based on how she excercised her choice to have the baby. When it mattered most, on a moral issue, her parents’ teachings had obviously gotten through to her.

Lindsay |
September 2nd, 2008 at 5:53 pm

Gwen writes:
“On the topic of Bristol Palinâ€™s pregnancy, Iâ€™d say that it says nothing about her motherâ€™s (or fatherâ€™s) family values. It might be yet another example of how a policy of abstinence only education continues to be ineffective in stopping teenagers from having sex. I say this as someone who got pregnant at 18, and was just purely lucky that it wasnâ€™t 17. I grew up in a conservative Catholic household, so I got that abstinence only message too. For Bristol, I have nothing but sympathy and encouragement; for her mother, I hope this personal challenge gives her pause for thought about effective policies to support should she become our next VP.”

You might note that she is 100% behind abstinence only education and strongly opposes sex education in school. I agree that maybe this is a good opportunity to change views but it’s my understanding she has not.

I like the way this conversation has come back to viewpoints. I would love to vote for a woman, don’t get me wrong. I have two daughters and would like them to see a female leader in the White House - though I would point them to Madeline Albright as a great example. However, with me it will come down to the person I think is best for the job. My issues with Palin are not personal though my issue with McCain not picking the most qualified female on his list is personal.

Stacey Beck |
September 2nd, 2008 at 6:42 pm

Well, it seems many people want to rebut my comment on the feminists’ “best answer” to the difficulties of being a working woman. Sure, they have other issues listed in the margin. But I’d ask you this. What would NOW be if you took away every controversy over abortion? Let’s face it, abortion is their reason for being.

Those other issues some of you listed - I see very little being done by liberals or feminists toward making those things happen. On a couple of issues, yes, but there have been many missed opportunties due to distractions that are irrelevant to mainstream working women.

What I do see is that as women become more numerous and powerful in the work force, companies are seeing a value in accommodating them in order to attract and keep them in the workforce. Quality daycare also exists in response to the ecoomic demand by working women. Many if not most of these women of substance are conservatives who believe that humans are most successful, as a group and individually, when we reap what we sow.

SKL |
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:18 pm

I am the mother of 5 children and 8 grandchildren. I was a working mother. I am concerned not becuase Sarah Palin works, but that she “outed” her 17 year old daughter.
Didn’t she understand that becoming VP meant that her life and the lives of her family are open, whether or not it is the right thing to do.
She is not fit to be a VP, just as MCCain is not fit to be a President, given his opinions (often wxpressed) of women.

Ethel Guten |
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:33 pm

Couldn’t McCain have chosen a more qualified woman without the baggage that Palin brings with her?

My philosophical differences with Palin: abstinence-only education when it has been proven that education empowers women to make better choices, thus lowering their chances of unwanted pregnancy; pushing the teaching of creationism in public school; and her belief that mankind is not responsible for having an adverse effect on the environment thereby contributing to global warming.

In these very serious times, we need leaders who will use reason (underlined) and look at the important issues we face today with clarity. We need positive change to improve our standing in the world and to help us move forward as a nation, not backward.

Geez! I read through all these comments and basically forgot what my original comment was! If nothing else, religion and politics are two subjects that are very personal to people. Everyone has their own reasons and opinions for feeling the way they do. However, for someone to make a blanket statement that a working mother does not have good family values is completely unfair at best. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses and what works well for some may not for others.

My children are my heart, and in essence my life. They are why I work the way I do. And they know this! And although I am definitely a working (hardworking!) mom, we have developed our own ways to make our life work, and keep our priorities, morals and values straight. Some days go better than others, but we all know the bottom line, and that is what we stick to.

Ok - Because the nomination of Governor Palin has created such a firestorm, I really didn’t want to get in the fray (being a nonconfrontational sort). However, after getting my head around the various issues, here’s my take:

First - in full and fair disclosure, I am a lifelong Democrat and liberal Democrat at that. I also identify myself as a feminist (but I will be taking up enough space without defining what I mean by feminist - suffice to say that I’m along the lines of Susan Faludi and Ellen Goodman). I supported Hillary Clinton. When her bid failed, I transferred my unfailing support to Barack Obama. I am not voting for the McCain/Palin ticket because I disagree with Republican policies in general (although I have voted for Republicans - hello Bill Weld), but am particularly concerned with the far right bent of this ticket. I also think that Governor Palin is very inexperienced and am mystified as to why Senator McCain chose her. If he really wanted a woman on the ticket, why not Kay Bailey Hutchinson or Christine Todd Whitman?

Regarding Governor Palin - and indeed ANY of the nominees. I think that holding high elected office requires that, for at least some period, you must sacrifice your ability to be with your family. This is an extraordinary situation and it simply cannot be analyzed under the same criteria we use to analyze ordinary situations. It is the nature of the job. It is not for everyone - but someone has to do it.

If we criticize all nominees for the toll holding office would take on their families, the only people who would be deemed fit to hold office would be single people (and probably male single people at that). I think that democracy works best when it is representative of its people. Governor Palin is a member of several huge US constituencies - not the least of which are women, mothers, and families with special needs. These constituencies should have more representation in Washington.

We don’t ask everybody to sacrifice their family in the way that we ask it of our elected officials. It must be very hard on them. We should support them. They are doing us a service. I believe that sometimes people must act for the greater good. Is it necessarily fair for the families? Probably not. But it is what our democracy requires.

So, I am not going to judge whether Governor Palin is a good parent for seeking the Vice Presidency. I trust that she has thought long and hard and agonized over this decision. The male nominees are not being judged by this criteria and neither should she. Like ALL high elected officials before her with children, I trust that she will make the best arrangements possible for her family for the time during which she is working for us.

All that being said, I am uncomfortable with Governor Palin’s decision to accept this nomination knowing the scrutiny that her 17 year-old daughter would come under. I can’t even imagine what that poor girl is going through. I think this speaks to overall judgement and is a fair point of criticism. She (the governor) is only 44 years old. Presumably, there is time for her to pursue political ambitions in the future, so putting it off until the next election cycle (or 2 or 3) would allow her ambitions to be realized and not put so much pressure on the daughter.

Mary |
September 4th, 2008 at 10:05 am

Oops - After all that sturm and drang, what I wrote was “So, I am not going to judge whether Governor Palin is a good parent for seeking the Vice Presidency.” As you can see from the next paragraph, I have some reservations about her decision to seek the VP position.

What I meant to say was, “So, I am not going to judge whether Governor Palin can be a good parent while being the Vice President.”

Mary |
September 4th, 2008 at 10:15 am

I would hope as a family they discussed this prior to her accepting McCain’s proposal. Mr Palin looks like a capable man and one that has been active in the raising on his family. He should be able to step up to the plate and jump in when Sarah is not available. I have a problem with this even being an issue. If it were Mr Palin not Mrs who had stepped up to the podium we would not even be having this discussion. I highly hope that come election time this is not something that is going to sway a voter one way or the other. We should be voting on the issues not if Mrs Palin should be home with her family.

Disclaimer: This is coming from a working mother who will be voting Dem not a supporter of Palin.

Jess |
September 4th, 2008 at 1:35 pm

So once again, it seems to come down to working moms against SAHMs? How incredibly sad. I don’t judge Palin at all for her choices. Why should I?

Look - we can all debate this all day long - why she rocks, why she doesn’t, why Republicans are awful, why Democrats are awful, blah blah blah. But I really look at it this way, as should ALL of us moms:

Your job as a mom is to make the world a better place for your kids. This is entirely up to individual interpretation. Some think this means staying home & raising kids themselves - through homeschooling, etc. Some think this means keeping roof overhead and food in bellies, so they go to work. Some think this means choosing to work in order to feel a part of something bigger and give back to the community at large, and so they too go to work. And some (like Palin), think this means going out and getting jobs that allow them to write laws and affect changes on a nationwide scale.

We are ALL right - and we are all doing what we, personally, think is the best way to be a mother to our children. So Palin thinks the best way is to be in politics and change things at that level. (Newsflash - Hillary thinks the same…she just doesn’t have any young ones at home at the moment - but she did when she started out - so no different from Palin) Who cares? I think it’s awesome she has found a way to be the mom she wants to be and go after some very big dreams. Not all of us are that fortunate. Her support network must be incredible. Kudos to her & her whole family for finding a way to make it work.

Shannon |
September 4th, 2008 at 2:06 pm

I agree with SKL, who says: “What we really need is for someone to say, OK, so most women are having kids and working, so what is the very best way we can support them, or at least not stand in their way? Who better than a high-power working mom to make sure that gets addressed?”

But the problem is that Palin doesn’t seem to support policies to help working mothers–policies such as paid family leave, flexible working laws, paid sick days, fair wages. She’s ideally suited to advocate for working moms, but I don’t think she’ll do it because of her minimialist government stance.

Check out the MomsRising.org platform for more on mother-friendly policies.

Nanette |
September 4th, 2008 at 2:12 pm

I am the mother of a 3 year old, 2 year old and 6 month old. I work full time in a male dominated sales field. Although I have flexability in my schedule we have a nanny from 8am- 6pm. I watched Palin last night and was truly moved by her passion. As a woman and a mother she is paving the way for our daughters and I commend her for what she is doing.

Although up at 3am with my 6 month old I couldn’t help but think. There is no way she is up taking care of that baby at night. She has to have someone else doing it.

I do agree with many that in doing this her family time will clearly be comprised. She has her infant and her daughter is going to be a mother in Decmber. She is just not going to be accessible to her family no matter how hard she tries. Her decision to run for VP needs to be the priority in her life. if it is not she has no business taking that position. Unfortunately that is the catch 22 . Her family is going to take second seat no doubt about it. I thank her as a woman and mother for being the one to jump in with two feet and take on the world. If she becomes VP and maybe someday President her children and grandchildren will only reap from the rewards. So what they lose today they will regain in years to come.

Janine |
September 4th, 2008 at 2:31 pm

I feel that each case has to be examined. I worked for 24 years with 2 children. It was very difficult. When life went well I had no problem both working and being a mom. However, when there were problems (and there always will be) juggling both was very difficult. And to point: I did not have 5 children including one baby with special needs and one going through a very difficult time; my job was no where near as demanding and stressful as being the VP of this country. I believe that with the number of children, the current family “problems”, the special needs child and the extremely demanding campaign followed by the extremely demanding job ( if the Republicans win) that Ms. Palin made the decision to put career over family. She certainly has that right, but it does seems to be a decision she has made.

Leslie |
September 4th, 2008 at 2:32 pm

I have no problem with her being a working mother and I applaud them for figuring out the juggle. I have a huge problem with Government telling my science teachers what should be taught in the classroom. Sarah Palin supports the teaching of creationism. I am a Catholic who wants my children educated in science, I will teach them religion. I have a huge problem with sex education being absitinance only until marriage. IT DOESN’T WORK! Instead you have a bunch of teenagers who don’t know how sexually transmitted diseases are spread and how to protect themselves from AIDS. I have a huge problem with McCain not voting in favor of the Violence Against Women Act and Sarah Palin applauding his character. I have a problem with John McCain stating the only thing that stands between women and equality in the workplace is more job training. I also have a big problem with Sarah Palin speaking at her church at stating “It is the will of God that we go to war in Iraq.” The will of God is no where near the oil fields and that is why we are in Iraq. If this is her judge of character, then I question her judgement. Not because she is a working mother, but because she pretends to be a feminist and is so bad for women.

Mary Beth Moran |
September 4th, 2008 at 2:45 pm

Gov. Palin is a fighter and strong mom. Being from a large family I realize how it’s not just the parents that raise the children- it’s a family effort. I think it’s awesome for a family this size to be in the spot light and instead of criticizing her for taking the nomination and for having such a big career- I think America should stand back and listen and watch how this family works together- how well behaved the kids are- and how they all pitch in to hold that little one without being asked. We could all learn something from the family- and even though they knew this little one was going to have a severe case of Down’s they still opted to keep the baby- and I’ve just got to say he is one cute little baby!!

I am 64 years young, I have raised 3 children own 3 busineses and taught school, chase after my husband who was coach and our 3 children where in sports whom I attended their games and supported their interests and was very active in our church.
My husband and i were missionary’s and people lived in our home when they needed help.
So all of you younger generation of cry baby’s grow up….where is your back bone. Who put you in charge of the world.

We have a chance to have a strong women to help lead this country. By by the way who has proved she can handle what ever is throw at her.
Until you walk in her shoes, you have no right to judge her or anyone else period.

I grew up in the WW11 , Dad was a pilot. We all pulled together.No one complained, we rolled up our slevees and put our head down and did what was necessary to be the job done, why because it was the right thing to do.

We did not go around trying to pull people apart, if they wanted the job we got behind them. What is wrong with you people today. Is it that you have other motives?

This government owes you nothing….it is WE THE PEOPLE WHO RUN AMERICA…..How can you serve America? Look deep inside of yourself. If this nonesense does not stop, we will self pull this country apart.

Mom’s you are what keeps the homes going, you are the ones who make sure things are done, why is it different for this mom(Sara) who has accepted to serve you?How many of you work and run a home?

We have gone down a slippery path of lets do what is right for me and looked inward so long, that this Nation is being destroyed by self centerness.If it does not stop there will not be a Nation to pass onto your children.

You need to think about it…….
It’s America you should be serving, not a party.

Get your eyes on what is important, anger will destroy you and everyone around you.

Terrie (Nana)

Terrie |
September 5th, 2008 at 6:26 pm

In today’s economy, it’s almost a necessity for both parents to work. I find it hypocritical that we find the energy to criticize a successful mom like Sarah Palin, and make judgements, yes judgements about her fitness as a mother and her values. I though we were well beyond this type of thought.

Like Hillary said, “it takes a village”. Well guess what, with Sarah Palin in office, there’s a nation ready to be there for her family and I think that’s beautiful.

Maybe we’ll get lucky and have her as Presidtent in 2012 or 2016. An amazing and timely step for women everywhere.

RDB |
September 6th, 2008 at 12:54 am

Terri…”So all of you younger generation of cry babyâ€™s grow upâ€¦.where is your back bone. Who put you in charge of the world”

This is a very interesting post and reflective of the generational differences of our current time. Although I perceive the tone as harsh and angered, Terri I am so very GRATEFUL for your posting.

Generational differences is an area that I have studied quite a bit in recent months and is something that is having an impact not only on discussion boards such as this one, but all throughout the workforce, higher ed, corporations, etc.

I DON’T believe that younger generations have ill motives, desire for broken communities, or feel that the government owes them everything. I think we all have opinions and that those opinions are based not only on our personal experiences but generational experiences/influences as well.

I’ve listed below some characteristics of the different generations in hopes that we ALL can have an understanding of our different experiences and maybe even a better understanding of our own reactions (sorry if this bores some of you and my thanks to author Peter Brinckerhoff of whom I reference the information below )

“Silent Generation: (born 1925-1945 — approximately 30 million) Characteristics: tradition, loyalty to a key issue in their lives, value of joint work ethic

“Baby Boomer Generation” (born 1946-1962 - approximately 80 million). Characteristics: value to the team, need to feel needed, “young” “cool”, like to work towards changing the world by working together. Often “live to work”

“Generation X” (born 1963-1980 — approximately 45 million). Characteristics: need to be valued to the work of the organization, value independent thinking, work-life balance. Often “work to live”. Last generation to remember life before the internet.

“Gen Y, Millenials” (born 1981 - 2002 — approximately 75 million. Characteristics: work closely with peers to a greater good, need new perspectives and ideas, work hard at doing good in the community and doing it well. Value work/life balance. Don’t ever remember a time without the internet.

The life/work balance is a huge generational divide.

Personally, I am a Generation X’er and I can’t tell you the number of times my generation has been labeled as “lazy” or as “cry babys”. I am the product of my baby boomer parents who sent me to a good school, emphasized learning as much as I could, supported my role as a working woman, encouraged me to be the best, encouraged opinions, ideas and independent thinking AND were NEVER home because they worked all the time. I am convinced that my parents will work far into retirement and possibly until the day they die (by choice). As a result of being a product of the baby boomer generation, I have worked very hard and am VERY proud for life/work balance that I have created.

And Terri when you stated “Who put you in charge of the world”…when you look at the numbers of generation x, y and mills it is larger than the baby boom generation — the world is changing.

(A good exercise: I was in a workshop where we were asked to draw circles that represented our work, family and life. We then compared, generationally, the differences and there was a very clear difference between the baby boomers and the gen x, y, and mil’s). It was also then suggested to have your family draw the same circles and compare

There are so many excellent resources that are available to read about the generational differences. I would disagree that younger generations are angry, it is just life experiences are so different between the generations. It is important to have some compassion and try to understand where everyone is coming from.

Michele G |
September 6th, 2008 at 6:12 am

It was really early when I typed this posting. Please disregard my last paragraph “There are so many excellent resources…”– I was cutting/pasting and neglected to remove that last paragraph. Thank you.

Michele G |
September 6th, 2008 at 6:16 am

I just don’t think that Sarah Palin has the kind of family values I respect. Leaving a special needs baby at 3 days to go back to work????

In addition to her lack of experience, I also question her education. She studied journalism. I really want my next president to be smarter than me.

bs |
September 8th, 2008 at 5:48 pm

I am a working mother of 9 year-old twins, and one of them has Down syndrome.

I decided in the early years of my daughter’s development that she needed my love, attention, and my brain to be her advocate instead of letting someone else make decisions about what would be in her best interest. Even my wonderful husband, despite his involvement, is not as well equipped as I am to do this. At the time, I was an Executive Director of a non-profit organization and did a lot of travel. I decided to scale back my career, but I still have an excellent, challenging and fulfilling job and have not sacrificed my daughter’s future for my personal aspirations. I will hopefully have lots of time for that.

As far as judging Sarah Palin for her decisions, I think everyone should use their own value system and judge her. This is what we do in a Democracy. We have choices. If she didn’t want to be judged, she doesn’t belong on a national stage.

Jennifer |
September 8th, 2008 at 11:35 pm

It is quite amusing to see Obama and his cohorts running around like chickens without heads since Palin was announced. The true Democratic Nominee is finally showing his true colors and as his pal wright would say…..it aint white.

Joe G |
September 10th, 2008 at 9:16 am

If Obama and Biden say family is off-limits, it is because they don’t like the scrutiny either, however, any candidate is subject to this. I think if we scrutinize one, we should scrutinize the other. But I think at this point in time,so close to the election, I think we should get over this and have more forums where they are asked the same questions but separately so there isnt arguing, but only statements on where each candidate stands on the issues. I personally worked when my children were small and worked opposite shifts from my husband. Sarah Palin’s husband was working but I believe he’s been a stay-at-home dad since she’s been governor. Not everyone can stay at home, not everyone can nurse a baby, not everyone believes in sex education in school -I personally believe in limited sex education because when they were teaching about same-sex relationships, I didnt want the school to teach my children anything about that, some of the sex education I prefer to teach them myself. I prefer not to judge people if they want to teach abstinance to their children- it might not always work, but it wouldn’t hurt to offer it- its like talking to your kids about drugs, our children listen to us more than we realize. Mistakes do happen, but I would not hold that against a 17 yr old. I heard that 16 was the age of consent in Alaska. I myself, although I don’t like the idea of abortion, I am pro-choice because I think it should be a personal decision. I think that Sarah is pretty shrewd, but to be honest I still haven’t decided if I vote who to vote for.

Bonnie |
September 10th, 2008 at 10:52 pm

Why isn’t anyone asking why her HUSBAND isn’t staying home to care for the five kids? Isn’t this the 21st century where husbands are expected to share the load?

It’s just as much her husband’s responsibility as it is hers. And he’s even shirking it further by being away the majority of the time for his job.

When you have children, they are your priority. Period. Other than putting food on the table, careers should take a back seat. Children equal personal sacrifice. It’s partof the job!

Palin is NOT the epitome of family values, but neither is her husband.

Jeannie |
September 11th, 2008 at 12:07 pm

TODD PALIN’S WORK STATUS:

For 18 years, he worked for BP Oil in the North Slope oil fields of Alaska. In 2007, in order to avoid a conflict of interest relating to his wife’s position as governor, he took a leave[12] from his job as production supervisor when his employer became involved in natural gas pipeline negotiations with his wife’s administration.[5] Seven months later, because the family needed more income, Todd returned to BP. In order to avoid potential conflict of interest, this time he accepted a non-management position as a production operator.[12][1]

He is also a commercial salmon fisherman at Bristol Bay on the Nushugak River.[5] Financial statements filed in 2007 show that Palin earned $92,790 from BP and fishing.[6]

Jeannie |
September 11th, 2008 at 12:11 pm

Glad to have it pointed out that Obama “ain’t white”. Racism is dead!!

I’m not a mother or working so what do I know? But here’s my two on Palin: I know a mother of five who never worked, stayed home with the kids, got a little dizzy on prescription drugs and thought only of herself. Well, the kids survived. Obviously whether a mother works or not the important things are guidance, communication, and most of all caring.

Palin’s “working class” family has got to be making well into six figures. Her first two kids seem to have no notion of college, so what kind of communication/guidance/caring are they getting? Just wondering. It’s their choice, but give me one good reason not to go to college if you’ve got resources out the wazoo. (Military: ROTC still exists).

Sven |
September 11th, 2008 at 4:55 pm

One of the problems I have with this lady is that it is easy to be against abortion when you have the resources and financial standing to hire a nanny to take care of your children. It’s just a continuation of our government being out of touch with the majority of American people. What I’d like to hear instead is how these people intend to not raise taxes against the middle class to take care of the millions of unwanted children, increase funds to run child advocacy departments and state foster homes, provide increased personnel for already strained child protective services, and provide additional free or low cost health care.

I personally have never heard anyone ask a man aobut his abilty to do his job because of his children. To ask her is just wrong JMHO

With that said, the questions to her should be why she says she is a reformer when she hired a lobiest to go after earmarks? Why Alaska gets more earmarks per capita then other states? She seems to think it is fine for a govenor to to ask for them, and almost a sin to be fought against for a senator to vote for them. This is very two faced.

If she is two faced about this, what else is she hiding and not telling the public the truth.

I know politics is rough, but after going to factcheck.com to find out the truth about the ads running. I am leaning away from Pailin and McCain. It seems they are not just stretching the truth or even distorting some facts which both sides do, they are telling out right lies and they know they are lies when the ads run.

This type of thing only hurts America.

Ann |
September 13th, 2008 at 4:43 pm

As a working mom of 4, I have to say I am appalled at the comments questioning Sarah Palin and her choice to run for VP. As women, we have fought for the right to work and have a home life. We should be supporting Sarah in her endeavor regardless of our personal feelings about her life. After all, it is HER life.

If her husband is anything like mine, he does quite a bit to assist. Where is it said that a man can’t give support to the kids and nurture them just as much as a woman. I am the executive in the house, the disciplinarian; yes the not so fun person. My husband is the one the kids go to when they are sick or have problems at school.

Not everyone can be the same or should be the same. At least Sarah and Todd Palin look like they have a good relationship that works for them.

In the end, don’t we want someone in the White House that actually knows what it’s like to have children in today’s world?

Where is Mrs. Obama in all of this? Why don’t we question her ability? Don’t you think that there are many duties that the First Lady has to do? What about her 2 kids who are also young?

In the end, we as women portray ourselves in a bad light. Can we ever make up our minds? Do we want a career or don’t we? Why do we always have to look like we can’t make up our minds?

I for one am very pleased to have a women running for VP. As someone who is only compensated at 70% of what a man in the same position is compensated, I want the glass ceiling to be broken. At least the office of VP has a pay rate that won’t be affected because of the gender of the elected official.

Right on Sarah!

Sarah |
September 14th, 2008 at 4:36 pm

Why Sarah Palin is the last person I’d choose as a role model for my daughter, ALL POLITICS ASIDE:

She enters national politics by slinging insults like a 12-year-old playground bully. Not once did she mention the REAL problems facing this country and the world. She did this IN FRONT of her children! That is not the example I want set for my daughter. I want her to learn that we don’t belittle others who don’t share our views. Sarcasm and evasion are not family values. That is why Sarah Palin is not a good role model for her.

Speaking of her RNC speech, were those her words? Did she write her speech? No, she didn’t. It was written for her by the McCain campaign (Matthew Scully, to be exact). She was OK with someone putting such nasty and sarcastic words in her mouth, however. I’d like to teach my daughter to use her own words when she speaks for herself and to always be constructive and show respect for others. That is why Sarah Palin is not a good role model for her.

She allows the McCain campaign to lie about and embellish her record. My daughter is being taught that lying is never OK. That is why Sarah Palin is not a good role model for her.

I don’t want my daughter to allow other people to craft her image for their personal gain. That is why Sarah Palin is not a good role model for her.

KWM |
September 15th, 2008 at 11:36 am

Here is a nurse talking about Obama:(Warning, it’s graphic description but no photos.)

Annemarie, you only believe in the veracity of this video because you on some level WANT to believe that it is true. And I think that is even sicker than the person who is spreading the lies in the video.

KWM |
September 16th, 2008 at 8:45 pm

Oh Come On Annemarie…

Michele G |
September 16th, 2008 at 9:10 pm

I haven’t read all the comments above but I saw that a number of women feel as if their situation as working mothers is comparable to S. Palin’s situation as a working mother. But no one has mentioned that this is no ordinary job Palin is running for - it’s VP for an entire country!! That combined with a family with 5 children incl. a special needs child and a pregnant one is a lot more of a challenge than working mothers face on a regular basis. I don’t want to diminish anyone’s work-family-balancing acts here, but Palin’s situation is extreme both on the family side as on the work side, that’s why it’s so insane that she wants to submit herself and her family to this kind of stress. Sure, it’s doable but at what price?

I really kind of hate the “mommy wars.” I am a working mother of two; I work for a number of reasons not the least of which is that I enjoy it.

I am not supporting McCain/Palin but what her family life is like doesn’t interest me in the least. I am most concerned that she calls herself someone who is a “champion” of women’s rights, when I think she’s more a champion of business interests. She probably sees nothing wrong with asking mothers to go back to work right away; maternity leave schmuternity leave.

I think in the broad sense of family values she doesn’t share mine. She doesn’t seem to place a high value on education, she isn’t intellectually curious about the world and she doesn’t believe women should have the choices she and her daughter have had. She just believes women should only do as she has done.

But these are POLICY more than PERSONAL issues. I don’t think we should presume to judge people based on their personal life; but I think we can judge their policies if they base them on how they live their lives.

I don’t think women need choices. They need to be able to have options for themselves and their families. Still, in high-profile jobs, many, many women are forgoing families or getting the short-end of the stick. I’m not sure Sarah Palin is the woman who will extend the branch any further for her gender.

I too am a working mom, a momtrepreneur to be precise. Before I was married and had children, I had started a company called Zoe Foods that produces Zoe’s all natural Granolas and Bars. This was pretty much a 24/7 endeavor. I knew it would be intense, but I had no idea how much so.

When my husband and I decided to have children, I was two years into my business. We realized that there would never be a convenient time and that we weren’t getting any younger. We have two amazing kids, and it’s not easy to balance all of the demands put on us from work and home. I have full-time help with my children and my housework, and good at juggling a lot of balls and getting things done. But… it’s still a lot.

I have no issues with working moms and believe you can have good family values and work full time. However, being the Vice President of the U.S. is quite different from running an entrepreneurial business. I don’t care how much help you have, as Vice President of the U.S., if a crisis arises, you can’t just tell the President or the Public that they’ll have to wait because your children need you. I’m all for having a woman in the White House, but we all have a physical limit as to how many places we can be at one time. As a very busy working mom myself, I think Palin is an irresponsible choice.

I am a SAHM and love being one. I worked/travelled a lot before my kids and my husband and I decided one of us would stay home. I chose myself because he had just started a new job. I have not regretted it at all. I also have a ton of respect for women who work outside the house. I see the balancing acts and it can be really hard. I will eventually go back into the work force and hope I will be able to handle it as gracefully as many of my friends. My problem with Sarah Palin, is not that I don’t think she can do the job, it’s that no where do you see her husband stepping up. Palin said in an interview that “She didn’t even blink” when they asked her. If my husband was offered that demanding of a job, he better blink and think about someone other than himself. Especially if we just had a disabled child and have a teenager who is pregnant. This is somewhat new territory for all of us to have a female running for this office. With the men we all assume their wives will step up, but one wonders if her husband will. I also have a really big problem with someone taking a special needs child on stage at a convention. That is not thinking of the child it is thinking of the photo op. Compare her to Biden and when his wife died he changed the way things were done in the senate and went home every night to his kids.

Kathy |
October 15th, 2008 at 2:18 pm

“Running” a town of under 6,000 people, which has NO fire department and NO school system to manage/handle, along with a lotof other things that many other larger towns have, and then being governor of a state with under 650,000 people, a state that is a revenue producing state from the oil revenues, and NOT a state that must depend on the taxes of its citizens to manage, is a HUGE leap from being one step away from the Office of President of the United States. She is no more qualified for that role than I am, and I have had city council experience in a metropolitan area of 1.2 million people.

So what her “family values” are, and what her work/homelife balance is in this question is totally irrelevant. She is putting our nation at risk and so is McCain by trying to foist her on us as the potential leader of this great nation.

The SINGULAR “job” of the Vice President is to be president. That’s it. That office is a holding place in what has turned out to be a 30% chance (based on history and not even McCain’s health) of the VP having to step in as President.

So, no, I don’t agree with her “family values” as I am extremely disappointed that she would put ALL our families at risk by accepting this nomination!!

Shelley Dee |
October 21st, 2008 at 8:56 pm

I am a working mother of 3. Teenage and I started over at 40. I was a SAHM with my first 2 until they started school. i found myself needing to go back with #3. i believe we as women should be able to choose to stay at home or work, but we also know there should be a balance for kid sake. Sarah Palins judgement is in question to me. Special needs means, that baby specially needs her there not a nanny. And it’s apparent that her other children need her attention or her teenage daughter would’nt be pregnant. They will be raising children together. Is this the type of judgement we want in the white house? Mcain is too old having one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel, more than likely she would end up the president. Is this a good idea?

kim |
October 29th, 2008 at 11:36 pm

I think she is amazing…what a balancing act. I only wish that I was half as good at balancing it all. I don’t think that just because you are the woman means you should stay at home with the kids or be the one to make sacrifices in your career. I think that if the two of you decide to move in a direction that includes one of you having a high power position then the other makes a sacrifice…it should be a decision made together for the family. But hey girls, to each his/her own…if they are happy that is for them to decide….

To each his/her own! |
January 22nd, 2009 at 5:09 pm

I wouldn’t hold her daughter’s pregnancy against her. Her daughter is responsible for her own decisions, no matter what kind of person her mother is.

I am far more taken aback by Sarah Palin’s treatment of her baby. This baby has Down Syndrome, yet is being dragged and displayed all over the country instead of receiving the early intervention therapies that make such a huge difference in development for DS kids.

I work full-time–but some of my hours are from home, and my husband and I are able to schedule things so that most of the time, there is at least one parent home when they’re not in school

Alison |
February 1st, 2009 at 8:41 am

Sarah Palin is a staunch hypocrite - She’s trite and selfish.
That’s all I have to say about that -

mamannw |
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:13 pm

I just don’t get it…what is wrong with saying that leaving your special needs child to be raised by someone else is deplorable? I have 2 Masters degrees and was a successful businesswoman but after the birth of my children decided it was more important to stay home since it was financially feasible. Why bring a special needs child into the world to be raised by a nanny? My oldest daughter’s classmate has Down’s and the parents both work full time and the child is raised by the nanny. I privately stated i thought this was wrong to another mom and now i am the pariah of the playground. Get over working moms, it IS wrong and it IS selfish. And jeez, I’M a liberal for pete’s sake!!!

Melanie |
April 28th, 2009 at 2:31 pm

Okay Cookie -
“Here’s the Pot” - meet “Freagin’ Kettle”…

How dare she say such things? Wonder if she can see Russia from her living room and not from the office she forfeited?

Wonder if she could have actually seen her grandson’s conception from her office chair at the governor’s office?

Maybe if she actually had a brain, she would talk such crazy mindless jargon only to prove over and over again that you are actually ‘brainless’… LOL!

LARRAH |
September 9th, 2009 at 12:26 am

As long as she doesn’t use daycare she can maintain the family values platform fairly well, perhaps if grandparents or other family step in to care for her children during the day. But sending her children to institutionalized care for hours a week is in no way compatible with ‘family values’ - NO. I believe she uses family care as Bristol’s son is cared for by an aunt. Less than ideal, for sure, but better than stranger care.

Amelia |
October 6th, 2010 at 3:46 pm

Hi Nataly!

Your blog is really helpful specially to moms wo are independent and working at home. I’m pregnant and looking for the best job that will help me provide what my baby needs.

I will always support women and career choices for I greatly honor those women before me who have fought for me to be able to have a balanced working/family life, so I am not in disagreement with supporting working moms. I just question Sarah Palin’s judgments and timing. I do believe the needs of her infant are great and as moms we know that what is needed of us becomes even more demanding when our child starts learning to crawl, eating solid foods, walking, etc…and for Sarah that is all going to be on the campaign trail!

I am in no way a Republican - but most women have the notion before they start conceiving that they ARE career women and they WILL succeed in Corporate America. Good for Sarah Palin. I dont think anyone should be quick to judge how soon, or not - she decided to get back on the trail after she had a Downs baby. She obviously had a plan for her child to be taken care of. To me, it doesn’t make you less of a mother - when your child is young, you give them hopes and dreams and tell them they can be whatever or whomever they want when they get older….so all of that is supposed to change when that stick has 2 pink lines? This is not the 1800’s this is the new millennium, the millennium of the Executive Woman. I have seen someone say that women are FORCED to work these days, and that is true - so if there are others who choose to stay home with their children thats great! Im all for children getting undivided attention at that family’s monetary expense!…… But some SAHM’s are very cocky when it comes to them being the ones who “do it better”. I have seen some SAHM’s in my day - and boy lemme tell you, I have never met such lazy, unproductive, government assistance dependent women in my life. I cant stand when they think they are holier than thou - but cannot AFFORD to stay home and take care of their children as it is, make us work for a hard earned buck and give 30% of it to good ole uncle Sam so you can go on a shopping spree at your local Grocery Store. The ones who are the artsy crafty types, and can make a mountain out of a ant hill are the ones I look up to. They actually live within their means, teach their kids values, respect, and reliability. I dont think because you sit at home and take care of your RESPONSIBILITIES - you can be free to spit out 5,6,7 of them. Now Im not all about running to a butcher shop, but I’m not against it for the right reasons either - I’m pro-choice, but that doesn’t mean choosing to go to the clinic every time you get knocked up. Some women don’t realize that having so many kids - no matter how cute you think they are - cost money, and these days, a lot of stay at home moms do not have the means to be staying at home - so they get pregnant, now they have a handful and a half of kids - that America has to feed.

What makes us working moms less than a mother, or less than you? - I have more motherly instincts and nurturing on accident than some of these homebodies do on purpose. The fact that some of you find it appalling that a working woman actually works to provide for their family is more or less just as much as a slap iin the face to men, so are they less of a father because they work all day and don’t spend as much time with their kids? Why is it always a double standard with people?

April |
September 26th, 2011 at 10:55 pm

I am a working mom and I have 3 kids. Twin girls (9) and a boy (4) and I proud to be a working mom I am showing my kids independence and that working hard pays off , especially my daughters who work as hard in school as i do in work and at home. This is a new day in age i dont think anyone even celebrate holidays the traditional way like they were celebrated 20 years ago.